Division of Food Production and Society
FlexBio – Flexible biorefineries for upcycling of local bioresources
End: dec 2028
Start: jan 2025
FlexBio develops flexible biorefinery technologies to convert Norwegian food industry by-products and urban food waste into valuable feed ingredients. The project integrates biotechnology, process optimisation, and socio-economic assessment to enable more efficient and locally adapted use of bioresources.
Project participants
Giovanna Ottaviani Aalmo| Start - end date | 01.01.2025 - 31.12.2028 |
| Project manager | Nils Kristian Afseth, NOFIMA |
| Project manager at Nibio | Divina Gracia P. Rodriguez |
| Division | Division of Food Production and Society |
| Department | Economics and Society |
| Partners | Nofima, NMBU, NIBIO, TINE, Norsk Kylling, Norilia, Greentech Innovators, NUAS Technology, Chitofun Biotech |
| Funding source | Research Council of Norway (KSPSAMARBEID24) |
Background
Norway generates large volumes of biomass from the food value chain, including by-products from meat and dairy processing and urban food waste. While parts of these resources are utilised, a significant share remains underused or treated as low-value waste.
Existing biorefineries are typically designed for single feedstocks and limited product outputs. This creates a mismatch in the Norwegian context, where biomass is heterogeneous, geographically dispersed, and variable over time.
FlexBio addresses this challenge by developing flexible biorefinery systems that can adapt to different types of biomass and changing supply conditions, enabling more efficient and localised resource utilisation.
Objectives
The main objective of FlexBio is to develop flexible biorefinery technologies to convert local Norwegian biomass into feed ingredients.
The project further aims to:
- Develop enzymatic hydrolysis processes for protein-rich biomass
- Develop fermentation processes for carbon- and nitrogen-rich biomass
- Enable real-time process optimisation using sensor-based technologies
- Demonstrate integrated biorefinery operations
- Assess sustainability and policy frameworks for implementation
- Strengthen industrial collaboration and innovation pathways
Approach and methodology
FlexBio combines biotechnology, process engineering, and socio-economic analysis within an integrated system framework.
The project includes:
- Bioprocess development (enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation)
- Process optimisation using sensor-based technologies
- Integration of unit operations into flexible systems
- Product benchmarking
- Socio-economic and policy assessment
Key themes:
- Circular bioeconomy
- Biomass upcycling and valorisation
- Flexible biorefinery systems
- Food and feed production
- Sustainability and policy frameworks
Relevance and impact
FlexBio contributes to improving the utilisation of Norwegian bioresources and reducing waste in the food system.
Expected impacts include:
- Development of flexible biorefinery platforms
- Increased value creation for food and biotech industries
- Improved resource efficiency
- New pathways for local feed production
- Policy-relevant insights